Editing Yari

{{Era|Weapons}}{{WP-REAL|Yari}}
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The '''''yari''''' (槍) is a family of [[Japan]]ese [[spear]]s characterized by narrow blades forged in the same manner as [[katana]], ''[[tantō]]'', and other ''{{wiki|Japanese sword|nihontō}}'' (日本刀, i.e. Japanese swords). It was the weapon favored by [[samurai]] and the [[ninja]] [[Hattori Hanzō]], whose skill with the yari was said to have been legendary.<ref>''[[Assassin's Creed: Memories]]'' – [[Cards_(Memories)#Japan|Cards]]: Hattori Hanzō</ref>

==Description==
''Yari'' (槍) in the Japanese language is one of two words for 'spear', the other being ''hoko'' (矛). The two are distinguished by narrow and broad spearheads respectively.<ref name="Weapon dict">Ichikawa Sadaharu [市川定春]. (2023). "Polearms" [長柄]. In ''Dictionary of the Weapon'' [武器事典] (3rd ed.), translated by Lin Tsit-i [林哲逸] and Kao Yin-liang [高胤喨]. Taipei, Taiwan: Cite Publishing Ltd., pp. 113–165.</ref> Although ''yari'' in Japanese also applies to spears around the world generically, the term is loaned into English to refer specifically to a class of Japanese-style spears that arose during the [[Sengoku period]] for use by the many foot [[soldier]]s untrained in [[sword]]fighting.<ref name="Rekishi">Kapp, Leon; Kapp, Hiroko; and Yoshihara Yoshindo. (2012). "Rekishi: A Brief History of the Japanese Sword". In ''The Art of the Japanese Sword: The Craft of Swordmaking and its Appreciation''. Tokyo, Japan: Tuttle Publishing, pp. 69–104.</ref> The blades of these new spears followed the same principles that had led to the development of the katana over the previous centuries. They were forged from ''{{wiki|tamahagane}}'', a type of [[steel]] smelted from {{wiki|iron sand}}. They also bore ''{{wiki|Hamon (swordsmithing)|hamon}}'', which is the visual pattern that results from differential hardening of the steel during forging. This technique ensures that a blade's edges are keen but its inner core is ductile, so that it is neither too dull nor too brittle.<ref name="Kansho">Ibid., "Kansho: Appreciating the Japanese Sword", pp. 13–67.</ref>

Overall, a ''yari''{{'}}s profile is that of a straight, double-edged sword blade mounted to a pole to form a spear.<ref name="Rekishi" /> From this simple form called the ''suyari'' (素槍, <small>lit.</small> 'plain spear') came numerous variations, among them the ''kamayari'' (鎌槍, 'sickle spear'), the ''katakamayari'' (片鎌槍, 'partial sickle spear'), the ''kagiyari'' (鍵槍 or 鑰槍, 'key spear'), ''kudayari'' (管槍, 'tube spear'), ''ōmiyari'' (大身槍, 'great-bodied spear'), the ''nagaeyari'' (長柄槍, 'long-pole spear'), and the ''kikuchiyari'' (菊池槍) named after the [[samurai]] {{wiki|Kikuchi Takemitsu}}.<ref name="Weapon dict" />

===''Kamayari''===
Of these, the ''kamayari'' is the most iconic.  Also known as the ''jūmonji yari'' (十文字槍, 'cross spear'), it consists of bladed protrusions perpendicular to the spearhead but forged as a single piece.<ref name="Weapon dict" /><ref name="Kansho" /> It is so named because it resembles a cross, and the side blades can be used for either parry or attack. The ''katakamayari'' is a derivative with only one protrusion on one side.<ref name="Weapon dict" />

===''Kagiyari''===
The ''kagiyari'' incorporates an L-shaped guard below the spearhead that can be used to parry or hook an enemy weapon. The guard can be removed for reversion into a standard ''suyari''.<ref name="Weapon dict" />

===''Kudayari''===
The flexible, upper segment of a ''kudayari'' is demarcated from the rigid pole by an intervening guard and hilt. The design enables the user to vibrate the blade when it is embedded in a target's body so as to inflict greater injury although it was criticized for its cruelty.<ref name="Weapon dict" />

===''Ōmiyari''===
An ''ōmiyari'' is a ''yari'' that boasts a much longer blade.<ref name="Weapon dict" />

===''Nagaeyari''===
The ''nagaeyari'' invented by [[Oda Nobunaga]] for his troops has an elongated pole, making it akin to a [[Europe]]an [[pike]].<ref name="Weapon dict" />

===''Kikuchiyari''===
The unconventional ''kikuchiyari'' uses a short, single-edged blade. When Kikuchi Takemitsu fought a battle at {{wiki|Chikugo River}} (筑後川), he tied a ''[[tantō]]'' to a bamboo pole and found that its performance exceeded his expectations, and this inspired the creation of the ''kikuchiyari'', also known as the ''Chikugo-yari'' (筑後槍).<ref name="Weapon dict" />

==History==
''Yari'' truly came into being during the Sengoku period as ''daimyō'' had to find ways of equipping the masses of ''ashigaru'' in their armies. Because these peasant foot soldiers needed to split their time between farming and military service, they could not be professionally trained to the same level of skill as samurai. Spears were effective battlefield weapons which were easier to learn to wield proficiently than a katana, and thus the type of spear composed of a ''nihontō'' blade mounted on a pole was invented. The weapon was not exclusive to ''ashigaru'', for it became popular among samurai as well, and they were responsible for developing ''{{wiki|sōjutsu}}'' (槍術, 'the art of the spear'), as well as its many subtypes.<ref name="Rekishi" />

==Behind the scenes==
The ''yari'' is a type of weapon that will be usable in the 2024 video game ''[[Assassin's Creed: Shadows]]''.<ref name="IGN 40 Details">{{Cite web| url=https://www.ign.com/articles/assassins-creed-shadows-40-details-you-need-to-know| title=Assassin’s Creed Shadows: 40 Details You Need To Know| author=Purslow, Matt| work={{Wiki|IGN}}| date=15 May 2024| accessdate=7 June 2024| archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20240515184055/https://www.ign.com/articles/assassins-creed-shadows-40-details-you-need-to-know| archivedate=15 May 2024}}</ref>

==Appearances==
*''[[Assassin's Creed: Memories]]'' {{1stm}}
*''[[Assassin's Creed: Fragments – The Blade of Aizu]]'' {{1st}}
*''[[Assassin's Creed: Shadows]]''

==References==
{{Reflist}}
{{ACShadows}}
[[Category:Long weapons]]
[[Category:Spears]]
[[Category:16th century weapons]]